Despite its long and ancient history, Indonesia is young nation having gained independence in 1948 from centuries of colonialisation. Recent economic development has brought profound changes to Indonesian society.
The Minangkabau, numbering about 8,659,000, are the fourth largest ethnic group in Indonesia and exercise significant influence in the country. While some Minangkabau are scattered, they originate from the province of West Sumatra.
Pramana is a local believer in the Messiah from a predominantly Christian people group. He grew up in Makassar (provincial capital of South Sulawesi) and studied at university. Here Islam is part of the Bugis ethnic, as well as their religious identity. This is Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim population.
Many Jawa Pesisir Lor view traditional Javanese culture as backward and are proud of what they consider to be their more modern world-view and stronger Islamic commitment. The vast majority of them are Sunni Muslims though there are also some Sufis among them.
Since the downfall of former Indonesian President Suharto, Aceh has been much more than just Indonesia’s most fundamentalist Muslim province. As the country's only province under Islamic sharia law, it has been an inspiration to the extremist movements that are attacking Christian villages on the islands of Ambon and Sulawesi. It has equally been a safe haven for the Taliban-style training of Indonesia's own insurgency.
What do the Deli Malay need?
Most importantly, the Deli need to know the truth of faith in Isa al Masih (Jesus Christ). They need people to come alongside them and chat to them in a context which is relevant to their understanding and worldview. If the Deli are to come to faith in Isa al Masih, it is vital that there are well-trained national workers to live alongside them and share the gospel with them in an appropriate way.
The Betawi people (population 500,000) are considered the original inhabitants of Jakarta. They came from the mixture of peoples who arrived in Batavia (Jakarta’s historical name) from the 15th century onwards from elsewhere in Indonesia and from other countries, including Portugal.
The Jambi Malay are Muslim, known for their Islamic fanaticism. Islam was established as a religion in Jambi in the 16th century when Arab traders arrived on the island. Today, every village and nearly every “kampung” (close-knit neighborhood)...
There are only a handful Indonesian Christians ministering to over a million Komering people most of whom who have not yet heard the Good News. There are a few home churches among the Komering now.
A large influx of Javanese into Lampung province through transmigration has caused the Lampungese to hold even more tightly to their culture and especially their religion. The churches that exist in Lampung province are mostly Javanese. Many Christians in Lampung province are paralysed with fear and are unwilling to share the Good News because of possible persecution.
